Context

Attributed to Galileo after recanting his belief that the earth moved around the sun, but never written by him or confirmed.

In the classic struggle of power over true love, rich parents warn rebellious teenager: "Marry them and you're cut off! We'll cut you out of our will. You'll have to work for your money—no Mercedes, no penthouse, and no designer duds." Since you can't bear missing the next catwalk in Milan, you are forced to abandon your plans to elope. But you register your protest by stomping your foot and saying, "But it is true love!"

Same thing with Galileo. The Cardinal Inquisitors give him an ultimatum: renounce your belief that the earth revolves around the sun or you'll be picking rat hairs out of your teeth in a dungeon. Um…okay.

Not being one to throw himself on the sword to prove a point, he signed a document officially cursing and detesting his errors and heresies. We would really like to believe he stomped his foot on the way back home to Florence, saying under his breath, "But it does move!" Probably didn't happen, but it makes us feel better.

Where you've heard it

Everyone's peering into the hamster cage. The hamster's on its back, little pink toes curled against its tummy. Momma says to a disbelieving Suzie, "Its nose has stopped moving. We have to bury it." But Suzie, certain that she sees that nose twitching, protests, "But it does move!" Momma says okay and puts the dead rodent in Suzie's room where pretty soon her nose will be twitching. This will teach Suzie the value of objective observation.

Additional Notable References:

• This line is included in the title of a book by Thomas Schirrmacher called, "But it does move!" and other Legends about Galileo Galilei.
• In case you want to see Galileo's sentencing and abjuration, here you go.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

This dinner party is on a yacht. Very fancy. And, yes, it's moving. We'd give this quote a 1 except, well, it is on a yacht.